It’s the time of the year when you’re likely to hear songs about lords a’leaping and ladies dancing so it’s only fitting that the calendar is packed with dance-centric events.

While Richmond Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” is the traditional favorite, there are other options that are specifically focusing on the audience.

Starr Foster is calling her winter production “[YOUR NAME HERE]” after the piece that leads off the program, a dance she developed during the pandemic. “It felt really relevant then,” says Foster. “With so much change happening now, it felt right to revisit it.”

Featuring a trio of dancers, the piece includes four significant props, metal trees that the dancers move around the stage, as well as move between. “There’s only three dancers so it really provides the opportunity for each dancer to shine,” says Foster.

The four trees represent life but, with only three dancers on stage, Foster says “my hope is that people will be able to emotionally put themselves into the work.”

The second dance on the program will expand on a piece Foster choreographed last year in her Page to Stage III production where she took inspiration from a poem written by Tara Shea Burke. Called “A Soft Neglect,” the poem explores the less obvious ways family dynamics can be hurtful.

“I added a section in the beginning so now it feels whole,” says Foster. “The poem has so much in it, a lot of weight and a lot of feelings, so adding this section really completed the work.”

Seven dancers will join Foster’s core troupe of five for the final dance, another prop-heavy performance called “Mercy.” “There are a bunch of sections of bench that we’ll be moving around the stage,” says Foster. “When we push them all together, it’s 18 feet of bench.”

The piece reinforces the theme of empathy that runs through the production. “Mercy is such an interesting word,” Foster says. “I think it’s about stepping out of ourselves and having empathy even about something that we don’t understand.”

The director of Conflux Dance Theatre, Miguel Perez, also wants Richmonders to step outside themselves to experience new emotions. That’s one of the reasons he’s calling his company’s winter production “Resonance.” “I want our audiences to feel a connection when they come to the show, an emotional response,” he says.

To help generate those emotions, Perez has invited in five nationally-renowned choreographers from all over the country to create new works on his company. “We try to hire choreographers with unrepresented voices: people of color, women, LGBTQ artists,” he says. “We really think it’s important to bring in these voices, especially to Richmond.”

“Resonance” will feature six dances, including two choreographed by Perez. He promises a diversity of styles and moods across the different pieces.

“We start with a contemporary ballet and then we end with a kinetic full company piece,” Perez explains. “In between, there’s a duet, a quartet and more. I wanted to make sure that there’s a variety.”

Conflux was founded only 3 years ago but Perez says he’s amazed how far the company has come in such a short time. “Our dancers can do so much,” he says. He’s also proud of the diversity of his company, including a wider range of ages than might be expected.

“Our age range is from 21 to 46,” he says. “I think we have to get rid of the stigma that, because you’re older, you can’t dance. There’s a lot to be said about maturity: the more you’ve done it, the more you invest in your craft. To me, that makes you a better artist.”

To fully grasp the breadth and depth of talent in Richmond, one need look no further than the Virginia Dance Awards, the final major dance event of the weekend. The awards were established in 2019 and will bestow honors across 27 categories, from Youth Dancer of the Year to Outstanding Professional Dance Company.

Conflux is one of three nominees in that last category, a testament to Perez’s success. “When I first moved here, I didn’t know if I could have a company,” he says. “But there is so much art here and so much support for the art. I knew I could thrive in a city like Richmond.”

Starr Foster’s “[YOUR NAME HERE]” runs at Firehouse Theatre, 1609 West Broad St. Dec. 4-7. Tickets and information at https://www.starrfosterdance.org/.

Conflux Dance Theatre’s “Resonance” runs at Grace Street Theatre, 934 West Grace St., Dec. 5-6. Tickets and information at https://confluxdancetheater.org/. 

The Virginia Dance Awards are Sunday, Dec. 7 at the Richmond Convention Center, 403 North 3rd Street. Tickets and information at https://www.virginiadanceawards.com/.